Prince Arthur married Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain at St Paul’s Cathedral.

24th January 1502

The Treaty of Perpetual Peace was signed at Richmond Palace by English and Scottish negotiators. The treaty provided for peace between England and Scotland to be sealed with the marriage of James IV to Henry VII’s eldest daughter, Margaret.

2nd April 1502

Prince Arthur, heir to the throne, died of an unknown illness at Ludlow Castle.

23rd June 1503

Prince Henry was betrothed to his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon.

8th August 1503

Henry VII’s daughter, Margaret, married King James IV of Scotland at Holyrood Abbey.

27th June 1505

Henry VII made his son, Henry, who, at 14 years old, had come of age, publicly repudiate his betrothal to Catherine of Aragon. Henry wanted his son free to enable him to make alternative marriage negotiations that would be more beneficial for England.

1507

There was an outbreak of sweating sickness in England.

1508 or 1509

A daughter, Jane, was born to Sir John Seymour and his wife Margaret at Wulfhall, Wiltshire.

21st April 1509

Henry VII died of tuberculosis at Richmond Palace. He was succeeded by his son, Henry who took the throne as King Henry VIII.

11th June 1509

Henry married his brother’s widow, Catherine of Aragon at the Church of Observant Friars.

24th June 1509

King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon were crowned King and Queen of England.

1st January 1511

A son, Henry, was born to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon at Richmond Palace.

Battle of Flodden Field – the English defeated the Scots army that had invaded England. King James IV of Scotland was killed.

21st September 1513

Margaret Tudor acted as regent for the young King James V of Scotland.

9th October 1514

Henry VIII’s sister, Mary, married King Louis XII of France. The marriage was part of a peace agreement between England and France.

April 1515

Henry VIII’s sister, Mary, returned to England following the death of her husband Louis XII of France.

22nd September 1515

A daughter, Anne, was born to Mary, wife of John Duke of Cleves at Dusseldorf in Germany.

24th December 1515

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey became Lord Chancellor of England.

18th February 1516

A daughter, Mary, was born to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon at Greenwich Palace.

13th May 1516

Henry VIII’s sister, Mary, married Charles Brandon at Greenwich. The couple did not have the King’s permission to marry.

31st October 1517

The Protestant Reformation began when Martin Luther nailed his list of 95 theses on church indulgences to the door of the church in Wittenberg.

1518

The Treaty of London was signed by representatives of Burgundy, France, England, the Netherlands, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain and the Papal States. The treaty agreed that if any one country was attacked the others would come to their aid.

The Field of the Cloth of Gold – this was a summit meeting between Henry VIII and Francis II of France. The name derives from the cloth of gold tents that were erected on the site.

15th August 1521

The Treaty of Bruges was signed by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and Henry VIII. The secret treaty agreed a joint invasion of France within the next two years.

11th October 1521

Henry VIII was given the title Defender of the Faith by the Pope after he wrote a book denouncing Protestantism called Fidei Defensor.

March 1522

Anne Boleyn joined the court of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

circa 1525

A daughter, Kathryn was born to Jocasta, wife of Edmund Howard. She was the niece of Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk.

18th June 1525

Henry’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, was created Duke of Richmond.

February 1526

Henry VIII began to persue Anne Boleyn as a love interest.

1527

The Treaty of Westminster was signed by Henry VIII and Francis I of France. The treaty united France and England against the Holy Roman Empire.

Spring 1527

Henry began to have serious doubts about the validity of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon sparking what became known as the Divorce Crisis.

17th and 31st May 1527

An ecclesiastical court was convened at Westminster to hear Henry VIII’s concerns regarding his marriage and to consider whether it should be annulled. The court concluded that they were not qualified to judge the case and that it should be referred to Rome.

22nd June 1527

Henry VIII separated from Catherine of Aragon.

September 1527

Henry VIII wrote to thh Pope requesting an annulment of his marriage. The Pope sent Cardinal Campeggio to hear the case.

1529

An outbreak of sweating sickness killed 100,000 people across Europe.

31st May 1529

Cardinal Campeggio opened his legatine court at Black Friars in London.

21st June 1529

Henry and Catherine of Aragon appeared before Campeggio’s legatine court.

17th October 1529

Henry VIII removed Cardinal Wolsey from the post of Chancellor due to his failure to secure his divorce from Catherine of Aragon.

26th October 1529

Thomas More reluctantly accepted the post of Lord Chancellor of England.

29th November 1530

Thomas Wolsey died en route to London to be tried for treason.

May 1531

Members of the King’s council unsuccessfully tried to persuade Catherine of Aragon to enter a convent. A move which would leave Henry free to re-marry.

14th July 1531

Henry sent Catherine of Aragon away from court. He also refused her permission to see her daughter, Mary.

15th May 1532

Thomas More and Bishop Fisher refused to sign the Submission of the Clergy which made Henry head of the Church in England.

16th May 1532

Thomas More resigned as Lord Chancellor of England.

15th November 1532

Pope Clement VII told Henry VIII that unless he returned to his lawful wife he would be excommunicated.

25th January 1533

Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn in the private chapel in Whitehall Palace.

30th March 1533

Thomas Cranmer became Archbishop of Canterbury.

1st June 1533

Anne Boleyn was crowned Queen of England.

25th June 1533

Henry VIII’s sister, Mary, died at Westhorpe, Suffolk.

11th July 1533

Pope Clement VII excommunicated Henry and his council.

7th September 1533

A daughter, Elizabeth, was born to Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn at Greenwich Palace, London. She was named after her grandmother, Elizabeth of York.

The Act of Annates was passed. The act determined that bishops in England would be chosen by the King.

23rd March 1534

The Act of Succession settled the succession on the children of Henry and Anne Boleyn. There was also a requirement for all of the king’s subjects to swear an oath to uphold the act.

17th April 1534

Thomas More was imprisoned in the Tower of London for refusing to swear the Oath of Succession.

July 1534

Anne Boleyn was delivered of a stillborn baby.

3rd November 1534

The Act of Supremacy declared that Henry VIII was Head of the Church in England. The reigning monarch has held the title ever since.

22nd June 1535

Bishop John Fisher was beheaded on Tower Hill for refusing to sign the Act of Succession and accept Henry VIII as Supreme Head of the Church in England.

June 1535

Anne Boleyn suffered a miscarriage.

6th July 1535

Sir Thomas More was executed by beheading for refusing to sign the Act of Succession and accept Henry VIII as the Supreme Head of the Church in England.

November 1535

Henry VIII began pursuing Jane Seymour as a love interest.

1536

An Act of Union joined England and Wales and made Henry VIII King of both.

1536

Hans Holbein the Younger was appointed court painter.

7th January 1536

Catherine of Aragon died.

24th January 1536

King Henry VIII suffered a fall during a joust that left him unconscious for two hours.

1st May 1536

Anne Boleyn was arrested on a charge of treason for having committed adultry.

19th May 1536

Anne Boleyn was executed by beheading for treason on Tower Green.

30th May 1536

Henry VIII married Jane Seymour at Whitehall Palace, London.

8th June 1536

Dissolution of the monasteries began. Over the course of three years more than 500 monasteries were closed.

22nd July 1536

Henry’s illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy, died of tuberculosis.

13th October 1536

The Pilgrimage of Grace began. It was a rebellion against the English Reformation and the closure of the monasteries led by Robert Aske.

12th October 1537

A son, Edward, was born to Henry VIII and Jane Seymour at Hampton Court Palace.

24th October 1537

Jane Seymour died from puerperal fever.

4th October 1539

A treaty of marriage, arranged by Thomas Cromwell, agreed the betrothal of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves.

6th January 1540

Despite the fact that he did not like his bride, Henry VIII married Anne of Cleves at Greenwich Palace.

April 1540

Henry VIII began pursuing Kathryn Howard as a love interest.

10th June 1540

Thomas Cromwell was charged with high treason.

9th July 1540

The marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves was annulled. As a gift for agreeing to the annullment of the marriage, Anne was given Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, a pension for life and was made an honourary sister to the King.

28th July 1540

Henry VIII married Katheryn Howard at Oatlands Palace.

27th August 1541

Kathryn Howard appointed her former lover Francis Dereham as her private secretary.

18th October 1541

Henry VIII’s sister Margaret died in Scotland.

12th November 1541

Kathryn Howard was arrested, charged with treason for committing adultery.

1542

The Crown of Ireland Act declared that Henry and descendant kings of England would also be King of Ireland .

13th February 1542

Katheryn Howard was executed by behading for treason.

24th November 1542

Battle of Solway Moss – the English army defeated the Scots.

8th December 1542

A daughter, Mary was born to James V of Scotland and his wife Mary of Guise.

14th December 1542

James V of Scotland died. His infant daughter, Mary became Queen of Scotland.

12th July 1543

Henry VIII married Katherine Parr at Hampton Court Palace.

9th September 1543

James V’s daughter Mary, aged 9 months, was crowned Queen of Scots.

7th February 1544

A new Succession Act settled the succession on the children of Henry VIII, Edward, Mary and Elizabeth.

May 1544

Thomas Wriothesley became Lord Chancellor.

May 1544

Henry VIII led an army into France.

14th September 1544

Henry VIII took Boulogne for England.

19th July 1545

Henry VIII’s warship the Mary Rose sank in the Solent.

24th April 1546

Henry VIII established the English navy.

28th January 1547

Henry VIII died at Whitehall Palace. He was succeeded by his son, Edward who became King Edward VI of England, Ireland and Wales

A son, James, was born to Mary Queen of Scots and Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley at Edinburgh Castle.

19th June 1567

Mary Queen of Scots was implicated in the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley.

24th July 1567

Mary Queen of Scots was forced to abdicate the throne in favour of her infant son who became James VI of Scotland.

May 1568

Mary Queen of Scots fled to England and sought the protection of Elizabeth I.

Autumn 1569

A number of northern Catholic nobles mounted a rebellion against the rule of Elizabeth I. They wanted to replace her with Mary Queen of Scots.

27th April 1570

Pope Pius V excommunicated Elizabeth I.

September 1580

Francis Drake returned to England having circumnavigated the World.

4th April 1581

Francis Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I.

4th June 1584

Sir Walter Raleigh established a colony on Roanoke Island which he named Virginia after the Virgin Queen Elizabeth.

July 1586

The Babbington Plot was uncovered. Anthony Babbington had sent secret coded letters to Mary Queen of Scots organising her escape from imprisonment and her overthrow of Elizabeth as Queen.

8th February 1587

Mary Queen of Scots was executed at Fotheringay Castle.

August 1588

The Spanish Armada that invaded English waters was defeated by the English navy.

6th April 1590

Elizabeth’s councillor, Francis Walsingham, died.

22nd December 1590

James VI of Scotland married Anne of Denmark.

1591

William Shakespeare wrote his first play, Henry VI part 1.

4th August 1598

Elizabeth’s councillor, Sir William Cecil, died.

31st December 1600

The East India Company was founded.

17th December 1601

The Poor Law was introduced. This law distinguished between deserving and undeserving poor.

24th March 1603

Elizabeth I died. The Tudor line ended as the next in line to the throne was James Stuart, King of Scotland. James became King James I of England, Ireland and Wales and James VI of Scotland. He declared himself King of Great Britain.